They’re a revamp of my 2009 Raw Vegan Dark Chocolate Fudge Balls and are made in minutes. Noteworthy changes include increasing the ratio of cocoa powder and adding a dash of agave. The net result is bites that taste even more like real brownies. Rich, supremely fudgy, and satisfying. And are made entirely from plants.

The new batch size is slightly larger, but still yields just 2 dozen small bites, about 3/4-inch to 1-inch in diameter. If you roll them larger, approaching golf ball size, one dozen is a realistic yield.

I used cashews and highly recommend you do the same. Cashews are the vegan, plant-based equivalent of butter. They’re softer, richer, and creamier than other nuts. They blend smoother and are more flavor-neutral.

I prefer cashew to almonds because almonds are chalkier, harder, coarser, don’t blend as easily, impart more nutty-flavor rather than buttery-flavor, and aren’t what I’d reach for. If my choice was almonds or peanuts, I’d go with peanuts. At least that way the finished bites would taste peanut buttery.

This is a wet-ish dough, but it shouldn’t be sloppy wet, nor bordering on Chocolate Cashew Butter. If it is, you need to dry it out. Add more cocoa powder or nuts, one tablespoon at a time. In this batch size, one tablespoon makes a difference, so add slowly. If the dough is too dry and is sandy, moisten it either with an additional squirt of agave or another date or two.

Because natural ingredients vary so widely; just how creamy or dry your cashews are, how soft and moist the dates are, and just how finely your food processor can pulverize, are all variables to account for. Use my recipe as a guideline, adding a pinch of this or squirt of that as necessary to get the dough to combine into a big softball that slaps around the interior of the food processor canister. If you have the choice of a food processor and a Vita-Mix, I prefer a food processor.

Remove the dough, put it on a large plate or in a bowl, cover it, and allow it to chill for a few hours, up to a week, before attempting to roll it into balls. If it’s too warm, you’ll have a sticky, tacky, chocolate sauce-like paste all over your hands. Not the worst problem in the world, but rolling will be more annoying, stickier, and more time-consuming than it needs to be. Chilled dough is much easier to work with.

Optionally, dredge the bites through sprinkles. Only good things can come from sprinkles.

I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t truly think so, but they taste like rich, fudgy, full of eggs-and-butter and melted chocolate brownies. They pack some serious fudge factor and are dense, chewy, rich, and so satisfying. They keep for weeks, months really, in the refrigerator or freezer and it’s nice to have a dozen around to snack on.

I have tupperwares full of dough balls in my fridge and freezer to be baked off or snacked on at a later date. Some is raw-vegan and some is the real thing. Unless I label it or have a clear memory of what I stashed, these healthy bites could easily get confused as the real thing.

If you’ve never made a raw vegan chocolate treat before, or something that fools everyone, this is the one to try.

These bites are rich, dense, ultra fudgy, and taste like they're made with eggs, butter, flour, and sugar, but don't include any of those ingredients. They're vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, with no sugar added and they're healthy, but sure don't taste healthy. If you've never made a raw, vegan chocolate treat before, or want to get your chocolate on without getting your gluttony on, this is the recipe for you. No-bake, easy, and ready in minutes.

Directions:

To the canister of a food processor or Vita-Mix (I prefer my food processor for this job), add the cashews, cocoa powder, and blend to pulverize into fine crumbs, about 15 seconds. Do not over-process because you will make chocolate-cashew butter very quickly.

Add the dates, vanilla, and process until mixture begins to combine. It's likely the mixture will be sandy, coarse and not combining. As necessary to get it to combine, add agave, one tablespoon at a time, pulsing to incorporate after each addition.

You'll know the consistency is right when the dough combines into a softball-sized mound and the mound travels around the canister in one big ball. It will still be tacky and sticky, but it shouldn't be wet and sloppy. Dough that resembles the consistency of nut butter is too runny and loose and dry ingredients must be added to help it solidify. Add a tablespoon or two more cocoa powder or cashews, as necessary, to dry out the dough. Dough that's too pebbly, dry, or sandy will benefit from anther couple dates or tablespoon of agave, as necessary, to moisten it.

Transfer dough to a plate or bowl, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 1 week, before rolling into balls. Dough that's warm is difficult to work with; it's stickier, messier, and it leaves a chocolate paste-like layer on your hands. Wait until it's chilled before pulling off small hunks and rolling between palms until smooth. Work quickly because the warmer the dough gets, the harder it is to roll. I roll the balls about 3/4-inch in diameter, up to 1-inch.

Optionally, dredge balls through sprinkles. This has the added benefit of absorbing some of the tackiness or stickiness of the dough.

I prefer the bites chilled and store them in the refrigerator. Bites will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for many weeks, or in the refrigerator for many months, or in the freezer for 6+ months.

Recipe from Averie Cooks. All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.

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Combining nuts or seeds with dates, raisins, or other dried fruit; sometimes adding peanut butter, agave, maple syrup or other glue-like ingredients, and blending them is always going to result in something wonderful.

I’m very tempted to make these right now! I have a question for you. I’ve tried processing dates before, and they’re super hard to work with in my sub-par food processor. Now, I could try to work with it again by chopping them up before adding them into the bowl. However, I’ve seen dates that are already processed into almost a paste at the international store. Would this be okay to use? It’s just processed dates pressed into a brick shape, but it crumbles apart fairly easily.

Just soak your existing dates in warm water for a half hour or so; and then if need be, chop them into smaller bits before adding to your food proc. If your dates end up getting VERY water logged, you may need to play with the ratios a bit but by and large, this is way easier, convenient and cost effective! than buying those pastes. I know what you’re talking about…ripoff IMO. Just soak your own dates and make your own paste :)

This is a dangerous post to be reading before breakfast! I’m fascinated by the idea of using the cashews as butter. I’m wondering if pecans would work, too because they seem to have a similar texture. I have to get experimenting, thanks for the inspiration.

Pecans add way more flavor than cashews. It’s much more distinctive and don’t blend into as creamy of a state as cashews. Better than almonds but on par with walnuts. Nothing beats a cashew is raw/vegan ‘unbaking’! :)

I love these things but haven’t made them in months. I got a new food processor last week and haven’t used it yet–this would be the perfect recipe to give it a test run. The fun thing about raw vegan nut bites are all the various nut and dried fruit combinations…but I’ve probably made chocolate ones most frequently (dried cherries are a tasty addition)! Ani Phyo’s raw donut holes are another favorite and work well with cashews instead of almonds.

I’ve made healthy brownies that are similar to these brownie bites. You are right – they are so, so good and rich and fudgy! You thought of something that I totally missed though… sprinkles! Duh! How could I forget those? This recipe looks wonderful, as always!

I’m a huge fan of your no-bake vegan dessert bites, and these sound fantastic. Totally making these for Easter…I love fooling family and friends with decadent treats that are actually healthy! Thanks for the recipe!

These balls are so darn cute and I love how you threw the colorful sprinkles on them. These would be the perfect after lunch snack that you wouldn’t feel guilty snacking on! I tend to have a bite or two of dark chocolate some afternoons and it really hits the spot! I love the addition of dates and cashews to give the chocolate some nutritional punch! Yum!
xoxo, Jackie

Oh my goodness!!! YUM! Your photos are always gorgeous, but these are just so stunning – especially love that last one! These look positively divine and I love that they are healthy! Got to make some of these for the husband!!

You MUST be joking — those don’t have ANY flour, butter, sugar or eggs? They look identical to your typical “brownie/chocolate truffle.” It’s unbelievable that whipping up some cashews and dates produced these fudgy balls of heaven! Need.

Healthy and chocolate!? It sounds too good to be true. I definitely have to try these. You always have beautiful pictures, great stories, and amazing recipes! I always look forward to reading your blog. :)

I really do love reading your posts. They are so thought out and written beautifully. I feel as if I am baking with you- whilst reading! Or not baking in this case! ;) I actually bought a few bags of dates last week- I pureed them to make cc cookies. I want to be creative with dates. In my house we use dates for sticky toffee pudding and that is it. I love seeing other recipes using dates!!! :)

Thanks for the wonderful comment! I write my posts as if someone IS going to bake this and like to point out things along the way that they should be aware of. And I do take my time writing my posts to lay them out well and not just throw them together. So thank you for noticing and glad my intentions and things are working out like I hope they would!

Ok, I obviously love these! And all the sprinkles. I love using dates in recipes like this – they are like a little sweetening miracle worker! And these brownie bites literally look like brownies rolled into balls. They don’t even look like they are missing butter, oil, or eggs! I love your pretty granite counter tops too. it makes the sprinkles really “pop!”

Thank youuuuuu! I’m dying for some “healthy” sweet recipes. Bikini season is right around the corner and I need to feed my sweet tooth with things that will make my waistline happy. These look delicious!

I personally don’t count grams of anything. I’m just not a counter. Never been my thing and for me to say this is bad and that isn’t, that’s not something I can do. Only you can. Personally, I don’t see how plants, raw/vegan anything, in moderation is bad!

These look so good Averie! I especially love all of the sprinkles. I love the nut/cocoa/date trick for making raw brownie-type treats but never realized that cashews are more “butter-like” than other nuts because I’ve never used them in baking. Now I have no idea why I’ve never tried that! Thanks for teaching me something new, and for the healthy brownie inspiration!

Sort of like a Lara Bar in ball form?I like it! And my daughter will, too! I’ll be sure to make her some so she can have them after her 1/2 marathon she’s running to raise money for leukemia. I made your caramels to put on her desk for a donation to the Leukemia fund. Will let you know how they go over but my guess is they will go fast. They were heavenly!

Really nice healthy alternative! These brownie bites looks ridiculously moist and fudgy. I’m a big fan of cashews but not dates so much but I’m guessing you don’t really taste that and it’s used more for the binding, chewy texture.

Yum! I made some cookies kind of like yours this past week, but with peanut butter! I realized I didn’t add enough sugar so they didn’t make the blog this week! Another time! I am sooooooo loving your recipe!! Using cashews is such a great idea!!

I kid you not, this morning I was making cookies (that SCREAM of Averie, flavor-wise) and I started thing about the cookie balls you used to post all the time with dates. I remember thinking, I wonder if she still makes those. Uncanny. I swear.

I also never thought I’d read a post on your blog with the word “healthy” in the title. ;)

I always have abowl of raw cookie dough balls in my freezer to snack on. I’m out of dates and peanut butter right now. I tried to make coconut butter yesterday. EPIC fail.

Yes. To all of it. I wouldn’t change a single thing, and I LOVE the sprinkles on top. They totally take it from a “snack” to a dessert! PS, is that marbley surface new??? I’ve been wanting one of those!